I recently changed to a new PC and sold my old Saitek Mk1 keyboard (review on site) with it, so i bought this one as a replacement as i had been happy enough with its older brother.
Now, first impressions? well.... to be honest I was slightly disappointed that they have done away with the ... Read review
Advantages: backlit, nice feel. Disadvantages: not as solid as its older brother, lighter plastics and an odd minor lighting problem
...PC and sold my old Saitek Mk1 keyboard (review on site) with it, so i bought this one as a replacement as i had been happy enough with its older brother.
Now, first impressions? well.... to be honest I was slightly disappointed that they have done away with the silver keys and returned to the "standard" Black ones, however this would (I imagine) be to counter the fact that the silver keys did wear down eventually.
... ...the on-board back light more often in low light conditions.
Over all it seems very slightly lighter than the old one, the wrist rest is a little less flimsy, however the over all feel of the keyboard is a little bit "cheaper" For some reason they have used a "gloss" shiny plastic on the keyboard surround, this marks easily and is awkward to clean.
The back-light this time around has been changed ... more
I recently changed to a new PC and sold my old Saitek Mk1 keyboard (review on site) with it, so i bought this one as a replacement as i had been happy enough with its older brother.
Now, first impressions? well.... to be honest I was slightly disappointed that they have done away with the silver keys and returned to the "standard" Black ones, however this would (I imagine) be to counter the fact that the silver keys did wear down eventually.
Although that means you do have to use the on-board back light more often in low light conditions.
Over all it seems very slightly lighter than the old one, the wrist rest is a little less flimsy, however the over all feel of the keyboard is a little bit "cheaper" For some reason they have used a "gloss" shiny plastic on the keyboard surround, this marks easily and is awkward to clean.
The back-light this time around has been changed to 3 colours, a sort of Orange/Red, Purple and the original Blue. All colours this time around can be dimmed by a little rotary control top right of the keyboard that could easily be confused as a volume control, especially as it is right beside the multimedia controls. It does have a little bulb symbol but it really does look like a volume control,
the multimedia/light controls are all bundled together and feature the usual track forward/backward, volume up/down, stop play/pause and just to confuse you the mute and light selection switch are on the same rocker.
the mute is marked as you would expect (speaker with a line through it) but the light selection is simply a half filled round circle that you press to cycle through the colours (and back-light off)
Thats it for extras though, again no sleep key but as I mentioned last time not a major problem.
Now, the backlight.... erm.. ok I suppose. The orange/red combination covers the entire board quite well, the Blue (as the last model) is really only visible on the main section (and a little duller than before) the Purple slightly brighter than the Blue but with the same coverage problems.
There are also two little "windows" built in either side of the keyboard that light up the spaces either side, for why I have no idea... maybe to see your mouse or teacup? the left hand side light matches the selected colour, but the right hand side only works when the Orange or Purple lights are on, I don't know if that is a common fault or just with my model.
So in summary, slightly less desirable than its older brother, it feels cheaper, has a lighting system that is no real improvement despite the dimmer and could have been better. It's still a good keyboard, but with added competition it may not be the leader in its class for much longer.
Advantages: Great feel; Great Design; Fantastic Price Disadvantages: None
...get a new keyboard, the Saitek II. Well here I am, and here is my review.
EASE OF USE
The Saitek II is one of the most easy to use keyboards around. When you begin typing with it, you can really notice how responsive and easy the keys are to press. This may sound silly, but in my previous experiences, I have come across keyboards which were very hard to use. This was mainly to to the fact that the keys were hard to press. It made it difficult for ... ...uncomfortable. With the Saitek II, this is not the case. This is the Third time I have written this review, as the other two times my internet crashed, and I am still dedicated to tell you guys about this keyboard. As this is my third time, it must prove to you that the keyboard is a great tool as I am still not experiencing any sort of cramp or fatigue in my hands. As well as the keyboard itself being easy to use, the way to set it up is also very ...
TheGingerKid 14.10.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Saitek Eclipse Keyboard II - keyboard
Advantages: Comfortable to type on, stylish looks, nice illumination system. Disadvantages: Flimsy wrist-rest, it will keep you up late at night
I bought this keyboard to replace a the very tacky one that came with my new Dell desktop. The idea of having illuminated keys appealled as I like using my system in a dimly lit room at night.
Construction-wise, the keyboard isn't bad at all and looks stylish with its silver and black trim. Although it is plastic it has a nice heft to it that stops it sliding around. At the back, two 'legs' can be raised to increase the typing angle. The detachable ... ...it stays flat on the desk, regardless of the typing angle. The keys themselves feel responsive and are comfortable to type on without any unwanted flex. The glossy trim around the keys is a bit dubious, as it could attract unwanted fingerprints.
Installing the keyboard is very idiot-proof, just plug it into a spare USB port and off you go. The keyboard is a familiar QWERTY layout with a few 'media' buttons (play, stop, volume etc) and a dial that ...
Diamondblade2006 31.12.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Saitek Eclipse Keyboard II - keyboard
Advantages: Firm to type with, great for playing, useful backlight for low-light evenings. Disadvantages: Backlight is in the gaps, rather than behind the letters.
I have owned this keyboard now for about 3 months and really love it.
I previously had the standard Microsoft Multimedia keyboard, and i wanted something that looked a bit more stylish and the backlit keys were a huge persuader in the matter.
The keys feel just right and and are very quiet with no clunking sounds. They feel what I can only describe as solid rather than hollow, and when you press them you can feel the resistance which helps to dampen ... ...a greater speed. Also, gaming is bliss with this as it seems to allow more keys to be pressed at once than usual. On the old MS Multimedia keyboard, a combination of Shift + Q + A couldn't be pressed with all keys responding. (I use this for crouch + lean + strafe left in games :P ) I've yet to had a problem with any keys used in combination yet.
The arm rest that comes with it is optional and detaches easily. It can be pulled out like in the picture ...
bobdobs 10.08.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Saitek Eclipse Keyboard II - keyboard
Advantages: Quiet keys, it lights up!!!! - choice of colours, media controls, doesn't hurt your fingers. Disadvantages: Blue colour isn't all that bright, keys starting to lose lettering, medicore build quality
Well, I bought my Saitek 2 back in November 2008, and after over a year of use I think I have experienced this keyboard enough to write a decent review!
Let's start off with the good thing.
IT HAS LIGHTS! AND THREE COLOURS AT THAT!!! It's great to show off to your mates, and down the pub it's always a great thing to say when half drunk! They keys are nicely placed, it feels natural to use and the keys don't have that horrid nasty texturey feel ... ...I previously own a Saitek Eclise 1 before this and experienced the same issues with the lettering on the keyboard so perhaps that's either an issue with Saitek themselves, or maybe it's just an issue with my fingers! Anyway, I digress. For the price of about £38, which is what I paid from Maplin back then, I can't really complain as it is just a very user friendly keyboard. Build quality is only average but for the price that's perhaps to be expected.
...
xJay1337 25.02.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Saitek Eclipse Keyboard II - keyboard
Advantages: Good size of keys, nice design Disadvantages: cant fault it.
I brought the Saitek Eclipse II keyboard from PC world for around £25 last year and so far so good! The buttons are a really good size for everyone from the ''sausage finger'' to dainty fingered people. There is a clicking sound but it is not that loud and the buttons do not stick either which is a problem i have encountered with a few keyboards. The keyboard has a sleek and stylish black and silver design and the keys have a back light in which ... ...also you can adjust the brightness of the light to suit. The angle of the keyboard can be adjusted and there is also a removable wrist rest. there are buttons for music players but not for other things as seen on some keyboards (e.g. sleep and open internet browser) but its OK as it makes the keyboard less cluttered.
To conclude, I would definitely recommend this to friends!
Hope this helps :) ...
Jenny_Wuv 03.02.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Saitek Eclipse Keyboard II - keyboard
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Advantages: Cool blue LED backlit keyboard Disadvantages: Not wireless, only 3 extra feature buttons
an adjustable keyboard angle, adjustable wrist rest, black finish and silver keys with laser-cut lettering and comes with a 2 year warranty.
Unpacking the SaitekEclipsekeyboard you see a sleek silver/black finished keyboard.
The SaitekEclipsekeyboard has a very low stance when you compare it to a normal keyboard, which is very comfortable when typing for long periods of time. The blueness from the keyboard added a nice glow when sitting in a dark room and actually lets you see what keys you're hitting. There are oversized rubber pads at the bottom corners to help absorb impact and prevent the keyboard from sliding around.
Saitek's Eclipsekeyboard is very responsive, quiet and sturdy and feels comfortable. Even after pounding on the keys for sometime I didn't find any inaccuracies. The keys have a sturdy secure feel to them when ...
This keyboard sucks. I am typing with it right now, and I can tell you it feels terrible. The amount of times the 'k' key fails to register and the spacebar, which is falling off after a few days of use, is seriously beginning to annoy me. Thank god the backspace button works or else I'd have even more trouble writing this review. The keyboard itself feels horribly tacky and cheap. Most of the keys will be damaged after at least a week of considerable use, whilst my other SaitekEclipse2keyboard has lasted me 6 weeks of hardcore gaming use! If your looing for a keyboard the stay FAR FAR away from this one, unless you want to put up with the horrible feel. You're much better off finding a quality keyboard that will last for longer than a week.
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Manufacturer's product description
The Saitek Eclipse II keyboard builds on the success of the backlit Eclipse and Gaming keyboards, now offering a choice of colors - purple, red and blue - selectable by the user and adjustable via a dimmer mechanism. The key characters and keypad illuminate making the Eclipse II keyboard ideal for use in any lighting environment. Solidly constructed from high quality materials including a stylish silver casing, the Eclipse II's weighted base and large area rubber feet keep it firmly planted to the desk, while cushioned, silent keys mean hours of fatigue-free use.
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